Monday, December 08, 2008

Very brief spoilers for last night's penultimate "Dexter" season three episode coming right up...

I hate the Internet some days. Every comment on the blog gets e-mailed to me as soon as it's posted so that I know if there's something I need to respond to -- or, on occasion, if there's something I need to delete. Last night, I came home late from giving a friend a lift home, put on "Dexter," and, as the opening credits were playing, checked my e-mail... and found a comment just posted to last week's "Dexter" discussion that spoiled virtually everything in the episode, including Dexter using a garrote instead of a knife on Miguel. So thanks a lot, anonymous d-bag.

Because of that marvelous specimen, I don't have a lot to say about "I Had a Dream," but I do feel like I would have been disappointed in the episode even if I didn't know what was coming. Having Dexter kill Prado with an episode to go was a surprise in its timing, but predictable in the larger scheme of things. We all assumed that Dex would eventually get Miguel on a table, and he did, with minimal difficulty. I would have liked the final showdown between these two men who were briefly kindred spirits to have been more complicated from an emotional and logistical standpoint. Dexter got to taunt Miguel about killing Oscar (and I guess we'll never find out exactly why Oscar was in Freebo's house), but the whole thing played out as you'd expect if you've watched this show for three seasons. Given their former close friendship, and Miguel's standing in the community, and whatever serial killer skills Miguel picked up from Dexter, I was hoping for something more.

Now, Dexter doesn't know that Miguel put the Skinner on his tail, but the Skinner was always a sideshow to the season's main story, and that's done in a fairly perfunctory fashion. (To be fair, it might have seemed brilliant and shocking if I'd been unspoiled, but I don't think so.)

Jennifer Carpenter gets beat up a lot here and on various message boards, but I thought she did a very nice job with Deb trying to deal with the news about Harry. And the scene where Anton talked about what it felt like to be the Skinner's captive gave us a different perspective on what it must be like to be the poor bastard trapped under Saran Wrap by Dexter. But I'm still waiting for the show to remember the business about Quinn being a dirty cop.

As always -- and especially after this recent incident -- I should remind you about the spoiler policy around here, which is no spoilers about upcoming episodes before they're written about by me. No talking about anything in the previews, anything you've read or heard elsewhere, about psychic visions you had, etc.

44 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Quinn and Amada(sp?)'s history was explained a few episodes ago. It concerned a member of Quinn's team with a drug problem and how Amada blames Quinn for the man's death by OD. The whole thing was so banal that I've already forgotten the details.

The bait-and-switch opening was quite, but yeah, overall this episode felt flabby. In fact, I was most intrigued by a small Dexter moment: when he made Deb his best man. Dexter's observation that "You've always stood by me" was the closest he's come to articulating a clear reason why he saved Deb in season one. And Carpenter's clearly being set up for a bigger arc next season.

After the entertaining work Smits has done on the show I was sad to see him shuffled off the stage so perfunctorily, but that's often how this show goes.

I suppose it'd be wrong to say the kill came quickly and abruptly, especially when it's been obvious for the last two episodes. I felt like we'd been playing in OT since then and they're just trying to squeeze things in now. But that kill lacked the same weight as Lyla or Brian. And that it wasn't the same as Brian, I get, but I figured we'd at least have a little more build on this one.

Wow, I actually really dug this one, and I'd been pretty much in agreement with you throughout the season. Loved watching Dexter cold jack matsuko, especially when Quinn delivered that "You're such a freak" line afterwards. My wife was freaking out during the Prado kill too, so sure that someone was going to walk in and ruin the whole thing. I could do without the skinner and all the rest of the nonsense, but I've enjoyed watching Michael get another actor to play with who isn't a total bore, the way Lila was. I guess I'm just grasping at the likeable straws though, because I've spent this entire season wishing somebody would take Rita out to a woodshed and bury her there. If the season finale is all wedding-devoted-nonsense, I think I'm going to cry.

I was thinking with two Big Bads this season (Miguel and the Skinner, with Miguel obviously being the more important of the two) that we'd resolve the Skinner first. So yeah, that was disappointing. And also, I thought the hamminess of the kill scene (on Smits's part) was just too much. Even though the "friendship" was a fraud, I expected there to be more depth, like Chris said--more weight. Miguel just seemed like another bad guy.

I did enjoy the fakeout, and Dexter punching Vince in the nose. I would've loved for there to be a little questioning among the coworkers of how Dexter was so crafty in getting out of his restraints.

And I really wish Deb would get her head out of her a** about this whole Anton thing. Whatever they plan to do with her and Quinn, I'm not impressed. Viva Anton!

After a comment last week when someone "guessed" that Dexter was really getting kidnapped for his bachelor party, the whole fake out was ruined for me. As soon as I read that, I just knew that was what was really going to happen. I think if I hadn't read that, this episode would have been better for me.

I would have liked to have seen Dexter strapped to Miguel's table for a bit before Dex got the upper hand on him. I think Prado should have made it to the last episode.

Oh, man. I would have less kind words the person who spoiled this episode for you.

I was happily surprised at the beginning by the kidnap fake-out, but like some people here, I felt Miguel's death lacked weight. True, I was on the edge of the seat for most of the episode, watching Dexter ponder over every detail concerning the murder, Harry's pointers and whatnots, Dexter using his smarts to do his deed, seeing Dexter possibly gang up with LaGuerta (Finally! Acting kind of like a real detective.) - all of which I think you would have enjoyed had you not been spoiled. I found the pacing to be enjoyable and pretty much awesome. - waiting to see all the bits and pieces for one big gungho showdown between Miguel and Dexter in the last episode, and what happens?

Miguel barely put up a fight. That was a big letdown after all the excitement buildup of the episode. I was hoping Miguel would be a more formidable opponent, and his death was so quickly dealt(and easy!) which contrasts the entire season so far just setting us up to this point. Which is upsetting considering I found this storyline to be the strongest out of all the storylines they've set up this season.

Even though the leftover loose ends seem dull in comparison,I'm still hoping that we'd get some kind of crazy good last episode, because I'm not getting at all that feeing of satisfaction I did at the end of the first two seasons.

Hm. I almost wished that that kidnap fakeout at the beginning was actually real. Is it sick of me to wish to see Dexter in saran wrap?

and I guess we'll never find out exactly why Oscar was in Freebo's house

I have a feeling Ramon knows (that is pure conjecture, BTW). At least, I hope he does because I'd like that loose end tied up!

I was disappointed that Dexter didn't talk to Miguel longer while he had him on the table and try to find out why Oscar was at Freebo's. I was also a little confused that Dexter knew Miguel was going to LaGuerta's because I got the impression from his voiceover that he was going to lie in wait outside Miguel's room that same night. I'm assuming he left the message at LaGuerta's after he knew Miguel was heading there--while knowing LaGuerta was already out--because if she'd heard it and went to meet Dexter, the message light wouldn't still be blinking. ARGH.

Otherwise, I was quite happy with the ep, especially Deb figuring out info about the Skinner and how to find him on her own, and her great scenes with Dexter and then Anton after she found out about Harry. I also didn't mind Miguel going out this episode because it will take at least one ep for the denouement from that act to play out.

I thankfully never considered the bachelor party thing, and at first was pissed, but then stepped back a bit and laughed. It seems to me that this season, the writers know there are a lot of fans who expect a build-up of tension at the end of a season of Dexter, and the way they pulled off the fake-out was pretty funny and well executed.

I can only hope that the unexpected twists this season (ex. Miguel & Dexter on the rooftop, Miguel turning into a killer, etc) means the season finale will lead to more twists and leave more loose ends loose than the end of season two.

I'm also disappointed in Miguel's end. I really think the pacing has been off this entire season.

It's a pity that the writers' didn't seem to understand the power of the Dexter/Miguel rooftop confrontation, and use that tension (which has been sorely lacking much of the season) for more than a single episode.

I really hope they don't rub salt in the wound and squander the opportunity to have Dexter at the mercy of another serial killer.

I know nothing will happen to Dexter long-term (there needs to be a show, after all), but I am surprised no one has mentioned another possible option for the final episode: Dexter now doesn't know anyone is after him. We may yet see him at the mercy of another serial killer if the Skinner manages to take advantage of that.

You know, since Oscar was an addict with a history, there really doesn't have to be a huge, plot-driven reason for him to have been in Freebo's house. He could have just been trying to rip off his dealer, and leaving it where it is wouldn't even be a loose end.

Quinn might also not be a loose end if he turns out to be a reliable narrator. The whole thing with the woman from IA could have been simply to drive a wedge between him and Deb this season to add interest, and the IA woman might be the unreliable narrator. There might be more to it, but there might not, and not liking the explanations we get is not the same thing as the writers failing to give us an explanation.

Speaking of spoilers, the current issue of TV Guide, which was in the hands of subscribers in the middle of last week, spoiled the fact that Miguel would be out of the picture by the time of the season finale, which (at least for me) eliminated any suspense about last night. I know, I know, my fault for paying any attention to TV Guide in 2008.

Count me among those who found Miguel's demise stunningly anticlimactic, considering that he had been believably built up as Dexter's most dangerous nemesis yet. And you would think that at least on his deathbed, we would finally get Miguel's acknowledgment that he knew all along (or at least figured out very quickly) that Dexter had to be the Bay Harbor Butcher. We now have to assume that he never did figure it out, which retroactively makes him seem less menacing.

But since I knocked Jennifer Carpenter in the comments last week, I would have to agree that she was more effective last night.

Also liked the Harry stuff--Harry appearing to encourage Dexter's yearning for some sort of normality. I'm among those (this isn't a spoiler) who just can't see Dexter as married, but I suppose we'll know for sure in a week.

For the record I love Deb. I hope it's not too much of a psychic vision for me to say that I feel like they're heading in the direction of Deb eventually...meaning way down the line, not soon...finding out and coming to terms with Dexter's secret. I do find it interesting that Dexter felt he could tell her about Harry's affair but not that it was with his biological mother, and that she's probably going to find that out on her own now that she's decided to delve into Harry's files. That might lead her to figuring out about Dexter's brother...and so on...

Also loved the black girl with platinum hair that requested the files for Deb.

All this reminded me though that we never found out if Miguel suspected Dexter was the Butcher. Did we? Maybe it doesn't matter since Miguel turned out to be a big fat liar. And/or, Raul will reveal some things in the finale. But like Alan, I saw that as a bit of a plot hole.

The whole thing between Dex and Miguel was pretty lame, but not as lame as the fake-out in the first five minutes. It was like Freddy meets Jason and one of them just drops dead. So what's there to do in the last episode? This is just a feeling, not a spoiler, but I just can't quite bring myself to believe that Dexter's actually going to get married. Alan's right about Jennifer Carpenter. She's terrific, but it did take her a while to grow on me. Unless something truly stupendous happens next week this is easily going to be the weakest of the three seasons.

I thought Miguel's death was too anticlimatic. I was hoping for more fireworks, especially following the awesome rooftop scene last week. Nevertheless, this was easily the best Jennifer Carpenter episode ever. She killed the scene in the interrogation room with Anton right after finding out about her dad and the CI. I could feel every emotion that she was going through. Excellent work. With this episode being kind of predictable and boring I don't have very high hopes for the season finale, which is unfortunate because I actually enjoyed this season for the most part.

Ending the main crisis in the next-to-last episode is something they did last season as well.

If you recall correctly, they killed Doakes in the 11th episode, eliminating Dexter's primary problem. It left him only crazy Lila to deal with in the final episode (complete with the whole pyro attack sequence). They're doing essentially the same thing here, leaving him only the Skinner for one final action-oriented ending.

Quinn's corruption was hinted at again today, when Deb mentioned his apparent extra income, and he mentioned a surprise inheritance from a rich uncle. Sounds fishy, and Deb should check out his story. Chances are it won't wash.

I, too, would have liked to have seen more of a direct confrontation between Dexter and Prado. He seemed to be an interesting monster-in-the-making, and seeing two monsters square off would have been more interesting than just the usual Dexter kill. Had I been writing it, I would have had Dex captured for real by the Skinner, somehow escape, and then see a major showdown between he and Prado.

One problem: he didn't skin Prado before killing him. It's not the m.o. of the Skinner to skin them _after_ they're dead. In the real world, that could cause problems with the frame. But chances are that the show's producers probably just assumed that the audience wouldn't want to see that... They seem to have been cleaning up Dexter's image (if that's possible with a serial killer) since the second season, playing down his sadistic joy in killing, and especially eliminating references to him torturing his victims or killing them slowly. So it didn't surprise me that they avoided mentioning the skinning.

Another problem: that needle. Normally, since Dexter chops up his victims and tosses them in the ocean, he doesn't have to worry about needle marks or the sedative turning up in the victim's body during an autopsy. But this time he'll leave Prado's body intact, to frame the skinner. That evidence could come back to haunt him, since it doesn't match the Skinner's motive.

About Dexter and Debra. A continuing theme on the show has been that Dexter asserts that he's incapable of feeling emotion, but then we're shown instances in which that claim is proven to be false. I think that even though he would deny it, Dexter loves Debra, at least as much as he's capable of loving anything. We can argue indefinitely about what constitutes love, but he was willing to kill his own blood brother for her, to walk away from the only friend he had ever known who not only understood him, but who offered to share his "hobby" - just to keep her safe. She is, without doubt, the most important person in his world.

On the Oscar front, I'm hoping that we still find out what was going on there in Freebo's house - about why Oscar attacked Dexter. That would be an awfully big thread to leave dangling. Perhaps Ramon will let us know. Or perhaps LaGuerta's investigation into Miguel will turn up something.

As for Rita and the wedding... I wouldn't be surprised if someone close to Miguel killed Rita to get back at Dexter (if he shared the secret with someone else). It would eliminate the wedding problem.

But on the other hand, from the writers' perspective, it would also put Rita's kids out of the picture, and hence Dexter's whole "normal" family life. I'm not sure they want to go that far. They might just stop the wedding itself (although I'm not sure how they would do that, given how far they've gone down that road). But count me in as someone who doesn't want to see a married Dexter.

And no, I don't think Prado ever made the Bay Harbor Butcher connection. There was never any hint that he did.

One question: why doesn't anyone recognize Dexter's mini-van parked right across the street watching them?? Especially Prado, who had to be expecting Dexter to be lurking?

I disagree with most of you about Miguel's sudden death. I found it more refreshing than anti-climatic because like most of you, I was expecting a final showdown between Miguel and Dexter at the end. But the way the episode turned out actually surprised me, and that's a good thing in my opinion for TV shows. And it wasn't a surprise in that it wasn't logical or well setup. I have no qualms with the ease with which Miguel got captured and subsequently killed because Miguel is still inexperienced and had LaGuerta on his mind. Miguel was going up against a crafty, experienced serial killer afterall.

I am almost certain that, by the end of the season finale, Dex will have told his sister. He's almost done it at least twice now (last season and this episode), and after the whole thing about him being able to trust somebody this season, I think it might be what everything's leading up to.

Plus, you know that Deb's gonna find out Harry was messing around with Dexter's mom. Hey, does Deb even know the circumstances of how Dex was found? If we had him this close to telling her this episode, and her learning his genesis and confronting him next episode, the writers might end up using the Skinner somehow as a catalyst to get Dex to tell Deb his secret...

I have to say that I'm going to miss Jimmy Smits and his fine acting from this season. The Dexter/Prado interactions have been a highlight of the series for me. It's rare for Dexter to meet someone who is his equal... and Prado wasn't quite his equal because in the end he was far too unpredictable and quick to anger. But still, there were a couple episodes there where I loved their blossoming friendship.

I wonder what next season holds. It seems to be getting harder and harder for them to find people for him to interact with as his true self.

Hmm...I'm not so sure about Dexter telling Deb everything about his secret by the end of this season. But I can see him revealing part of the truth that soon--like he did with Camilla, telling her only about killing his brother. Could lead to some interesting things in future seasons--unlike Brian and Lila and Miguel, she may actually be the only person who could possibly know part or all of the truth without Dexter eventually having to kill her.

I am not going to reveal any spoilers just discuss them in general without saying anything but I must say the scenes from next week were horribly "spoilery"! I don't watch them every time but I would do most of the time and these were ridiculous. Usually they give away a little. These were like cliff notes for the episode Ugh! I am done with previews. Lesson learned

I'm not so sure Deb is going to find out anything. Didn't Camilla say she destroyed the file on Dexter? Wouldn't that include the information about his mother?

Like many of you, I am kind of hoping Rita meets with a sad end, leaving Dexter to parent those children (though perhaps they'll bring back Jobeth Williams as Rita's mother next season). I always had a sense that Rita's mom "saw" Dexter in the way Brian/Rudy and Lila and Miguel did. Could be interesting.

But either someone has no idea who Rita is, and has recast her as a materialistic shrew, or else they are setting her up for a fall. Because Dexter simply cannot get married and continue to do what he does.

I've been too fascinated by Jimmy Smits' performance on Dexter this season to question a few inconsistencies in the story telling, such as the Bay Harbor Butcher ignorance.As such a big fan of NYPD Blue, Alan, I'm surprised you haven't focused more on the contrast between Smits in this role and his take on Bobby Simone.

One question: why doesn't anyone recognize Dexter's mini-van parked right across the street watching them?? Especially Prado, who had to be expecting Dexter to be lurking?

Oh, that really annoyed me! At this point, Prado has no reason to believe Maria is after him. He notices his trunk is open, and immediately stares back at Maria's house, not at the car parked directly across the street where Dexter is sitting in plain view. Rrrriiight.

If we are to believe that he was really that stupid, I guess we can believe he never made the Butcher connection.

My own "small pleasure" was when Dexter gave Miguel a little dope slap (I can't remember what inspired it now...Miguel said something that Dexter clearly disagreed with :-) ). I love this show and will be sad, sad, sad at the end of Sunday and will now have to say "Oh, I miss Dexter AND Mad Men so much" instead of just the latter. At least Lost is starting up relatively soon.

My own "small pleasure" was when Dexter gave Miguel a little dope slap (I can't remember what inspired it now...Miguel said something that Dexter clearly disagreed with :-) ).

He slapped him when Miguel said "I'm like you."

As he put it "I know I'm a monster". The others who wind up on his table "are unchecked versions of myself... what I'd have become without my father's code."

I found it amusing how Prado was still making threats as he was being garroted...

About Dexter telling Debra: If he were simply killing bad guys, that would be bad enough (given that Deb is a cop and takes the law seriously). But the fact that he's torturing & dismembering people because he enjoys the process, that he is a compulsive serial killer... how the hell do you successfully tell someone something like that??

As for next season... They need to get away from the whole "Dexter meets someone who seems to understand him, and then turns out to be a crazy enemy" plot that they've used so far.

I vote for a return to the early days of the first season, when there was a dark, unknown villain lurking out there, murdering the innocent, menacing the city and Dexter from afar... Add more mystery. No more fake "friends" who Dexter has to kill.

The thing with Deb though is that her obsession with being a good cop is all wrapped up in her idealistic perception of her dad as a good cop. But in reality, we have both her and Harry having affairs with CIs. Then you have Harry as Dexter's mentor for channeling his tendencies into a vigilante thing. Then you also have the fact that it was Harry's frustration as a cop (having to see so many baddies get away with murder) that gave him the idea for The Code.

And it's also been a recurring theme this season where almost every person working at the Miami PD has in some way tried to buck procedure in their quest to get the bad guy. Even Deb.

So, finding out Dexter's secret (in whole or in part) wouldn't just change her idea of who Dexter is, but also of who Harry was. And, like Dexter, that by definition puts her own code in crisis.

Deb arrested Anton for trying to light up a joint. She's not going to idly sit by while Dexter repeatedly kills people, even if they are "bad guys".

In the books, Deb does know.

I've always thought that Dexter is capable of emotion. Geez, who knows, maybe if Harry had gotten him some therapy early on, Dexter could have been "normal". Maybe by assuming that Dexter couldn't be helped, he helped create the monster.

Deb arrested Anton for trying to light up a joint. She's not going to idly sit by while Dexter repeatedly kills people, even if they are "bad guys".

That actually makes me think it'll happen more. That's what could make it an interesting plot development. That, and how it all relates to Harry. Why show such an extreme example of her by-the-book-ness if they're not going to turn around and mess with it?

In the books, Deb does know.

And is OK with it. That's another reason I think they'll go there...eventually. Like: by the end of the series (series, not season) Deb will know, and at the very least won't turn him in, kill him, or get killed. That's the extent of my prediction.

I know in LOST threads I like to come up with outrageous and elaborate theories that could not possibly be, just for the fun of theorizing, but in this case I really think it'll happen. :)

Rob said...I have no qualms with the ease with which Miguel got captured and subsequently killed because Miguel is still inexperienced and had LaGuerta on his mind. Miguel was going up against a crafty, experienced serial killer after all.

That is actually the way I saw it. There is no way Miguel would be even close to Dexter's equal. He had just begun killing, and only one person that he captured at that. Plus he was already established as emotional and sloppy. Even if Batman teached Robin some karate, doesn't mean that Robin would give Bats much of a fight.

I did enjoy the back and forth between the actors though. They had good chemistry and it's good to see that Michael C. Hall has an equal caliber of actor to work with so much this season.

Btw, the whole Quinn subplot reeked of sloppiness. I always thought that he was just being used as a red herring. I looked at the actor being the sympathetic-character-actor-turned-villain in the movie "Ghost Ship" and i knew right away he may have been casted for that reason. Now they just don't know what to do with him.

Oh, that really annoyed me! At this point, Prado has no reason to believe Maria is after him. He notices his trunk is open, and immediately stares back at Maria's house, not at the car parked directly across the street where Dexter is sitting in plain view. Rrrriiight.

This is a regular problem (because of shooting distances) in many TV shows and movies, and just requires a willing suspension of disbelief.

If DPs would finally eschew the need to show a 'through the windshield' shot of what the 'stalker' is watching, but instead just show them looking through a pair of binoculars and then what they're looking at (and assume that the audience will 'get it'), we could finally be rid of this annoyance once and for all.

I started out disliking this season, worrying that Quinn would be the serial killer, and finding Miguel too easy to push around. We've had a few good episodes of Miguel v Dexter, and it was disappointing to see Miguel go down without a fight. I did like the bachelor party bait and switch though, and didn't see it coming at all!

However, it sort of did have to go down this way because here the kill is the easy bit (even if it would have been nice to see our "hero" on the table for a while first), and we need to see how Dexter will cover it up. Also the wedding, even if Rita is increasingly irritating, is an appropriate season finale, hopefully with the Skinner and Ramon intervening before the vows.

I'm guessing that the wedding will go through and that at least one arc of the next season will involve Rita slowly discovering what kind of monster she's married to and "disappearing" in the 4th season finale, along with the remnants of Dexter's code. Tony Soprano seemed to be getting more likable as the series went on, but David Chase brought him back to basics for the final season and hopefully the Dexter writers will do the same.

If the fifth season is the last, it'll be Deb, refusing to drop the cold case of Rita's disappearance, who'll discover the horrible truth. The series finale will be a showdown between Deb and Dexter, and Dex, though gaining the upper hand will hesitate, and won't be able to go through with killing her.

She sees him safely into a secure psychiatric hospital, safe for Hannibal Lecter style excursions and a movie franchise, and goes on to her own Cagney and Laceyesque spin-off series partnering up with Angel's italian cop girlfriend.

I too was confused about Deb knowing in the books. I've read them all, and don't remember that. But i DO remember her thinking Dex had a gift for creepy hunches, and just let that go. Maybe Jeff Lindsay and the Showtime Dexter people will have parallel story lines!

In the first novel, Biney kidnaps Deb and wants Dex to help him kill her, just like in the series. However, in the book, Deb is awake for the whole conversation between Biney and Dex and asks Dex not to kill her. There is a moment when Dex thinks of doing it and joining his brother for a life of tandem killing, but LaGuerta interrupts and gets killed instead. And Dex lets Biney go.

In the second book, Deb knows and asks Dex for help with cases, telling others Dex has a "knack" for this sort of thing. We don't really get to know what she thinks of Dex, of course, because the story is told from Dex's viewpoint and his insight into how humans think and feel is limited.

Vaguely--although I do remember the Deb being awake with Dex and Brian part. I guess since she didn't make a big deal about it in the book (or have a big meltdown like Carpenter's Deb would) I kind of forgot about it. I like how the TV show can show more perspectives than just Dexter's.

And I totally forgot about LaGuerta. This might mean I have to go back and add the first two books to my GoodReads list to re-read!

If the writers are really desperate for an excuse to stop the wedding, they can always use the death of Miguel.

After all, most people assume that he was Dexter's best friend, and he was going to be his best man. When the best man is found skinned and murdered, it wouldn't be surprising to have the wedding postponed...